Baby still waiting for funeral after 20 years

A pathologist told the parents of Christopher Blum that he died of cot death, but his parents are adamant that a triple vaccination he was given hours before his death was to blame.

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Four-month-old Christopher was found rigid and cold in his bedroom by his father, Steve Blum, in June 1987.

Since then he has remained in the mortuary at Hornsey Coroner's Court, in a drawer marked 'Baby Blum: Deceased'.

Christopher's body will remain there until it is buried or cremated.

But his parents will not register the death to allow the funeral to take place while the death certificate bears the words "sudden infant death syndrome".

Instead they want to be able to prove the vaccine was to blame by re-examining blood tests - though it is thought these no longer exist.

Mr Blum, 60, from Edmonton said he knows he is breaking the law by not registering the death, but feels he has no option.

He said: "I know it sounds horrendous not to bury him. But whose fault is that?

"Why would they rather leave him there for another 20 years than have an investigation?"

He said Christopher's mother, Mary, had taken their son to the North Middlesex Hospital and he was sick immediately after he received his triple vaccination for whooping cough, polio and tetanus.

"He was sort of lethargic. We put him to bed about seven or eight in the evening. I went to check him at about half-past nine," said Mr Blum.

"His fists were clenched up to the sides of his head and his face was down on the pillow. I picked him up and as soon as I did I knew something was wrong. He wasn't floppy like a baby, he was rigid.

"There was blood coming out of his nose. I screamed and went running downstairs with him. My neighbour tried to give him the kiss of life and was pushing his chest.

"We suspected the vaccine straight away."

Haringey council pay the £15-a-week cost of keeping the baby's body frozen in the mortuary although it could demand that those costs of about £15,000 be met by Mr Blum.

Alternatively, the council could remove Christopher from their freezer and give him a parish funeral.

Mr Blum said that if the council tried to begin such a process he would seek a court injunction to prevent it.

A Haringey council spokesman said: "We have made attempts over the years to resolve matters with the family via their solicitors but there has been no response.

"As the Blums have still not registered the death, which would allow the funeral to take place, the baby has been kept in the mortuary."